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UCaaS providers: the features that differentiate them

technavadmin UCaaS , , ,
UCaaS providers: the features that differentiate them

By Chis Newell
Founder & President

Unified Communications as a Service has been widely adopted due to its low cost, integrations, ease of use, and increased scalability. The online nature of UCaaS platforms enables employees to access communications and collaborate anytime from anywhere, making remote work highly productive. Due to its rising popularity, UCaaS solutions have to contend with each other to become the best for businesses of all sizes.

Below is a review of some of the top UCaaS providers currently dominating the industry to help provide insight for your business.

Ring Central

Ring Central has been one of the top UCaaS companies for the past five years. Their software provides many different services, which include, SMS texting, audio/video conference, instant messaging, business analytics and CCaaS. If you are considering Ring Central, here are some of its main features:

  • High-quality audio and voice calling
  • Simple and convenient user interface
  • Significant team collaboration features
  • Good customer service
  • Very receptive to user suggestions
  • High level of MS Teams integration

Nextiva

This UCaaS company disrupted the industry with its exceptional Business Suite feature containing omnichannel communication for their CCaaS offerings. In addition, their inbuilt CRM feature can help customer-centric businesses rely on customer data and information to make good decisions. These are some of its most important features:

  • Strong native CRM with solid features
  • Convenient Mobile App
  • Flexible User Training
  • White glove customer support
  • Can provide trucking / direct connect to MS Teams as well as full integration

Microsoft Teams

MS Teams is a highly adopted collaboration provider, but they are far from excelling at UCaaS.  There are ways to enhance MS Teams to meet clients’ UCaaS requirements, however, it requires trunking augmentation or full integration with another provider. If you’re considering Microsoft Teams, here are some features to take into consideration:

  • All tools are integrated within a single platform
  • Widely accepted
  • Easy file search options
  • Easy backup and collaboration feature

Zoom 

Zoom jumped onto the UCaaS scene in 2019 when they started offering unified communications as a natural extension of their conferencing product set. Here are some features to look for with Zoom:

  • Hd voice and Hd call
  • A free basic plan for all user
  • 1000+ third-party integration
  • Easy-to-use interface if you are an exsiting zoom user
  • Full-screen view and Zoom rooms

8×8

8×8 has consistently been a solid provider for UCaaS and collaboration services. With their recent acquisition of Fuze their capabilities continue to expand.  MNCs traditionally look favorably on 8×8’s global footprint. Know some of its main features:

  • Solid mobile application
  • Extensive and stable global footprint
  • Faster updates improve the user interface
  • High level of integration with Teams

Dial Pad

Dial Pad is an up-and-coming UCaas provider with some very unique features. Well known for its voice intelligence feature,  Dial Pad processes natural language and has voice recognition to improve customer experience in real-time. In addition, they are rapidly developing a solid omnichannel CCaaS platform. Their features include:

  • Voice intelligence feature
  • Fully integrated UCaaS and CCaaS platform for SMB
  • Digitally enabled, which improves communication solid mobile applications for remote and mobile workforce
  • Strong MS Teams integration

The Takeaway

The best UCaaS and collaboration platform for your business depends on requirements, geography, integrations, budget, and stability needs. However, choosing the right one is not as easy as it seems. At Technology Navigation, we will give you the guidance you need to make the right choice. So, reach out to us here to get started!

5 Reasons Why You Should Choose Technology Navigation as Your Advisement Team

technavadmin CCaaS, Cloud / Data Centers, DaaS / VDI, Internet Services, IT Security, SaaS, SD-WAN, Technology Navigation, UCaaS, Voice, VoIP/POTS, Wireless/Mobility , , ,
5 Reasons Why You Should Choose Technology Navigation as Your Advisement Team

By Chis Newell
Founder & President

Navigating the IT market can be overwhelming for both clients and providers. For clients, IT infrastructure is a large portion of your daily business operations. As a result, it significantly affects your business performance if it is not at its best. There are so many providers to choose from, it can also be overwhelming.  Try searching on “UCaaS Providers” in your web browser.  How do you decide which solution is right for you?

What if there was a way to bridge the gap between clients and the IT solution providers? Technology Navigation has made it their business to know each provider, their suite of products, and capabilities.  We help procure IT solutions using solutions from providers that offer the best packages for your unique business needs.

 Why Technology Navigation?  Let’s examine why choosing us for your IT advisement needs is a wise choice.

Robust Supplier Ecosystem

Technology Navigation has over 800 suppliers in our infrastructure portfolio, and over 7,500 SaaS publishers. As a result, our clients have access to a broad range of IT solutions, allowing them to integrate products that align with their goals and budget requirements.

We are subject matter experts in:

  • Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS)
  • Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS)
  • Software as a Service (SaaS)
  • Data Connectivity
  • Internet Services
  • Collocation
  • Cloud
  • Wireless and mobility
  • VOIP AND POTS

Single Contact Point for All Your Needs

With Technology Navigation, you do not have to juggle different providers to get your IT products. Instead, our experienced IT advisors can act as a single point of contact for all your IT solutions, simplifying the entire process for you.

Ongoing Client Support

Technology Navigation’s IT advisement services do not end at providing clients with the solutions and products they need. We continue to provide an extra layer of support to clients and act as their advocates through the lifecycle of the services. Effectively, we are an extension of our client’s IT team.  

Complimentary Advisement & Support

Unlike most IT advisors Technology Navigation does not charge fees. Instead, we are paid by our brokerage arm which allows us to make an immediate impact, at no cost to you.

Agnostic, Not Unbiased

One of the biggest problems clients face when it comes to procuring services from providers directly is that their primary goal is making a sale., . Technology Navigation is 100% agnostic, but not unbiased.  This means that we offer a wide range of solutions and recommend the best service for your business needs.  We don’t work for the providers; we work for you.

The Takeaway?

Technology Navigation is more than just your average It advisement firm. We help formulate the right solution, with the right budget and assist in supporting the solution to take you a step closer to your business goals. So, if you are ready to take the plunge and work with Technology Navigation, click here to discover what we can do for you.

Security and UCaaS: finding the perfect balance  

technavadmin IT Security, UCaaS , , ,
Security and UCaaS: finding the perfect balance  

By Chis Newell
Founder & President

Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) providers are tempting targets for cybercriminals and hackers. How do organizations take advantage of all the benefits UCaaS provides, but also be ensured it is a secure solution?  

For businesses, the biggest appeal of UCaaS is the ability to consolidate voice and telephony services, instant messaging, email / voicemail, collaboration / meeting solutions, and communication-enabled apps into one cloud-based functionality. It is a power tool. Not only does it drop all those components into one cloud-based environment, but it also takes away the high cost of capital investment in upgrading equipment and creates cost flexibility.  

All this “data” bundled up in one ecosystem makes UCaaS a very enticing opportunity for the likes of cybercriminals and hackers. Whether you are in the market to change suppliers or upgrade to UCaaS, there are a few security matters that should be reviewed before signing on the dotted line.  
 

Security Protocols  

Security protocols have always has been important, but in the COVID-19 era they have been magnified to new heights. Think about the sheer amount of video conference and online conference calls your company has had since March 2020. Now recall on how many shared screens with proprietary information were virtually shared back and forth.  

Not to mention attachments, screenshots, and shared logins and passwords! When you add in all the times employees have logged in from home, their mobile devices, at the coffee shop, back porch, and everywhere else under the sun, you can see how imperative to have security protocols in place while using UCaaS applications.  
 

User Access and Controls 

It has taken some time for companies to understand that not every single person who uses the system needs access to the whole system. Just like you would not give every employee at a corporation a key to the CEO’s office, not every employee needs access to all data and features in the UCaaS environment. Permission profiles should differ for the different roles within a company, creating specific profiles for each person to assign rights and levels of permission to complete tasks.  

The all-time “it can happen to you” example that gives this directive weight occurred in 2013 when Target saw 70 million customer credit card numbers swiped from its database thanks to hackers who stole the login credentials from a third-party vendor.  

A company that sold Target freezers for its grocery store section needed access to just one thing – an app for submitting invoices. Instead, it had access to Target’s entire system through a universal profile and when its credentials were swiped via malware, Target’s data vault was cracked wide open.  
 

Data Encryption & Compliance  

When you are on calls, how secure is the call from hackers while you are in communication? It is vital for the solution to have calls encrypted. Not only do you need to ensure your voice traffic is secured, but when the supplier is storing your data it is important to understand the type of encryption being used.  

Clients are now adopting SASE principles along with SDWAN to further protect voice and collaboration communications for work from home, remote employees as well as office goers.  The combination of this level of security and resiliency is vital for highly secured communications.  

If your industry has compliance regulations to adhere to, making sure the supplier that you are working with has the required compliance accreditations is necessary. Even if it is not required, understanding what is included in these compliance accreditations can ensure that your provider has the proper security protocols deployed within their solution set. To name a few; HIPAA, SOC 2, Fedramp, FERPA, and GDPR.  

Conclusion 

UCaaS is a smart financial, technological, and business move that allows companies to consolidate resources and reduce costs. But without the proper safety protocols in place, the risk outweighs the rewards. 

CCaaS: what to look for in a provider 

technavadmin CCaaS , ,
CCaaS: what to look for in a provider 

By Chis Newell
Founder & President

When it comes to the CCaaS vertical we have seen feature functionality changes throughout the years. Most recently, AI has been inserted into CCaaS as a seemingly viable augmentation of existing product sets and in some cases a brand-new feature set. Features, such as chat, SMS Text, email, social media, outbound dialers, and other options, often attract customers to providers.  

However, it is important to understand the differentiators between providers and their underlying feature set, and who is providing them. There are very few providers who own and support 100% of their own product stack (TFN/DID voice, dialer, SMS Text, chat, email, social media, visual IVR, WFO/WFM etc.).  

Some providers try to conceal this important information and others broadcast it as a “value add” with their go-to market strategy. The key take-away from this is if the supplier does not own a part of their technology stack, it is important to understand the SLA and support agreements that are in place.  

The provider’s “added value“

Features are an exciting part of CCaaS, however, it is vital to review how services are architected and supported. CCaaS providers vary on how they are built. Some are built on their own infrastructure, while others utilize hyperscalers such as AWS/Azure/Google in multiple availability zones.  

However, most have adopted a hybrid approach. In the hybrid approach, some providers are extending their environment by using hyperscalers for storage and reporting feature sets, while others are moving critical applications into this style of infrastructure.  

Then there are CCaaS providers who white label and provide tier 1 and 2 engineering support, but don’t own the underlying technology. This can be beneficial if the white label provider has extremely proficient support models, wholesale pricing or deep integrations.  

What’s most important? 

It is helpful to know the pros and cons of the providers infrastructure, but one of the most important items to review are their BCP, and DR failover. Some good questions to ask are; How often is BCP and DR tested? What is the latest documentation/how often does the testing take place? One thing we all know about technology, it can fail.  

While SMS text, chat, email and social media can have delayed response in the event of a DR failover, DID/TFN voice should be seamless. It is vital for the provider to be their own RESPORG and have a failover strategy.  

If there are issues with TFN and DID services, this allows them to move to a different voice strategy or underlying provider. Some CCaaS providers give the option to bring your own voice provider. Traditionally this can create finger pointing and adds complexity to the solution, however, there can be beneficial cost considerations with bringing your own voice to a CCaaS environment.  

Regardless of what provider you are entertaining for your CCaaS solution, it is important to look under the hood to see how services are being provided and not get caught up in the sizzle. 

DaaS/VDI Strategy 101: Your Ultimate Guide To Virtual Desktop Infrastructure 

technavadmin DaaS / VDI , , , ,
DaaS/VDI Strategy 101: Your Ultimate Guide To Virtual Desktop Infrastructure 

By Chis Newell
Founder & President

Empowering a highly effective workforce starts with keeping your employees connected and ensuring that they have all the tools, resources, and data they need at their fingertips. With the right virtual desktop or desktop as a service infrastructure, you can keep users connected while giving them the flexibility they need to work from anywhere without compromising on security or workstation performance. However, deploying a successful virtual desktop infrastructure or desktop as a service solution starts with formulating the right VDI strategy and choosing the right DaaS/VDI provider for your needs.  

What Is DaaS/VDI? 

Desktop as a Service (DaaS) is a cloud computing offering that enables businesses to deliver cloud-hosted virtual desktops to any device, from anywhere. Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) is cloud-based technology that hosts desktop environments from a centralized server. It allows you to run desktop workloads on centralized servers while providing a secure way to make all the resources your employees need available in one place.  

Why Should Companies And Growing Businesses Invest In DaaS/VDI? 

DaaS/ VDI strategy brings the advantages of traditional computing models to the cloud, allowing your workforce to do more. The benefits of DaaS/VDI include: 

Data Security 

Authorized users from authorized devices can only access virtual desktop environments. Moreover, it keeps all data within the server, so you never have to worry about data disclosure. 

Reduced Costs 

VDI strategies eliminate the need for you to purchase hardware for your employees while eliminating the need for driver compatibility with specific software and services. Paired with a broad range of features such as simplified hardware maintenance, reduced downtimes, and high system performance, it offers limitless cost-saving possibilities.  

Resource Pooling 

VDI solutions allow authorized users to tap into the enterprise computer system from any approved device. This gives them access to company servers, apps, files, and services they need to get work done in one place, allowing business continuity.  

Data-Driven Insights 

With various tracking tools being offered by many VDI providers, you can monitor your virtual desktop environments’ user experience, security, and performance. As a result, you will mitigate all issues impacting users to enhance the productivity of your workforce. 

How Does DaaS/VDI Simplify Desktop Management And Keep Operation Systems Stable? 

With all virtual desktop environments connected to a single server, centralized patching, application installations, desktop redesigns and more can be carried out without the need for users to log off, eliminating maintenance downtimes. You can also leverage templates and cloning administrators to quickly establish departmental virtual machine environments and deploy new user desktops on demand.  

VDI strategies also integrate desktop and server management platforms, streamlining coordination between server and desktop support groups. Moreover, they enable the centralized execution of user sessions across a farm of servers while expanding the number of applications deployed on a server-based computing model. 

However, every application deployed in a shared operating system has the potential to conflict with other programs. While no multi-user platform is immune to failure, VDI minimizes this problem by isolating every virtual desktop from any system malfunctions caused by other users. However, it all depends on the VDI provider you choose.  

Is DaaS/VDI Suitable For You? 

Everyday use cases driving the mass adoption of VDI include: 

  • Outsourcing development while staying in control of all your data and source codes. 
  • Upgrading operating systems while eliminating the need to replace outdated PC models.  
  • Unifying server and desktop processes to create robust IT infrastructure and streamline data backup and recovery.  
  • Keeping CPU at peak performance by deploying demanding programs to a virtual desktop environment. 
  • Migrating from legacy desktop computing to utility computing to minimize costs. 
  • Preparing for business continuity in case of a pandemic by making it possible to power a remote workforce. 

However, choosing the right VDI strategy and VDI provider for your business can be daunting. At Technology Navigation, we help businesses considering VDI solutions for their companies to formulate a strategy that’s best suited to their needs. Connect with us today to find out more.